Time Out Australia Travel Awards 2026: Best Family-Friendly Stay Nominees

Bullara’s remote location is one of its biggest drawcards, located 1,170km from Perth and 90km from Exmouth. To beat the scorching summer heat, this remote station stay only opens from early April to mid-October. During the season, you’re bound to cross paths with all sorts of true-blue travellers – from those road tripping along the coast to folks doing a great big lap of Australia. Pair this with some of the warmest outback hospitality and food that seriously slaps (we’re talking contenders for Australia’s best beef burger), and you’ll never want to leave.

There’s a formula to a perfect weekend away: an early morning ocean swim, a bush walk, a boat ride, a long lunch or three and a good few hours lounging by a pool. At The Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific – a sprawling beachside hotel just 90 minutes from Sydney – that itinerary is ridiculously easy to achieve. With ocean-facing suites, multiple fitness rooms, a huge Art Deco-style pool, an on-site space and multiple dining venues, you could easily lose a day without leaving the hotel. 

Once you set foot onto Rottnest Island, you simply won’t want to leave – so you might as well stay a couple of nights. The eco-glamping tents at Discovery Resorts are a total dream for anyone who loves the idea of camping but doesn’t want to give up all the comforts of a luxe hotel. Even the Standard Tents here come fitted with an ensuite bathroom, pillow-top bed, fly-screened windows and a furnished deck. The absolute crème de la crème has to be the adults-only Deluxe Oceanside Tents, boasting romantic sunset views stretching across the Indian Ocean.

Tucked away in the heart of Australia’s capital at the National Zoo and Aquarium, Jamala Wildlife Lodge is without a doubt Canberra’s most unique accommodation – an award it’s won eight times, in fact. Here, the luxury bungalows and suites are dispersed within the animal enclosures, offering you the chance to sleep, dine and even bathe next to some of the world’s most dangerous and endangered species. Think cheetahs, lions, sun bears and giraffes! While the animals are naturally the headline act of any Jamala stay, the five-star luxury of the accommodation is a very close second. Paired with fine dining, private zoo tours and intimate animal encounters, it’s honestly one of the most immersive and incredible safari experiences you can find outside of Africa.

If someone asked you to picture a family-friendly paradise, it’d probably look a lot like JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa. This Gold Coast hotel has a postcard-perfect network of pools – including a saltwater lagoon with waterfalls and 300 colourful tropical fish that call it home. There are snorkels for hire, sandy shores with loungers, cabanas, a kiosk, poolside restaurant and bar, plus a waterslide, other pools with varying depths, grottos and jacuzzis. You’ll also spot very cute water dragons around the property. Plus, you’re only a short walk from Surfers Paradise beach. The kids will be in heaven, and you probably will, too.

If watching an Uluṟu sunrise is high on your bucket list (which it should be), you’ll want to stay somewhere that guarantees beauty sleep before the big show. Enter Sails in the Desert. Named after the striking white, sail-shaped awnings that shade the property, Sails is the only five-star hotel at Ayers Rock Resort – the major complex housing all the accommodation, shops and restaurants, just a ten-minute drive from Uluṟu. It houses 228 stylish rooms and suites, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and colourful Indigenous artwork and textures inspired by local Anangu creation stories.

Inspired by Steve Irwin’s life, legacy and love of the wild, The Crocodile Hunter Lodge is the ultimate tribute to the ‘Crocodile Hunter’ himself. Terri, Bondi and Robert opened this remote wilderness retreat in his honour in 2022, unveiling four new double-storey cabins late last year. The Lodge isn’t just a haven for humans, but a vital sanctuary for both beloved Aussie animals and critically endangered plant species. Its conservation efforts earn serious bonus points, as do unlimited entry to Australia Zoo, a heated infinity pool, and the award-winning Warrior Restaurant and Bar, where guests are treated to complimentary breakfast each day.